Members of the High Ridge Fire Protection District found a 14-year-old girl who went missing briefly on Oct. 31.
Chief John Barton said the teen was separated from her family during the chaos of trick-or-treating. He said she has impairments that make communication difficult.
“Her caregiver couldn’t find her,” Barton said. “Thankfully, the caregiver called 911 right away.”
The teen, who is local to the High Ridge area, was enrolled in Project Lifesaver, Barton said. The program makes search and rescue easier for emergency agencies.
High Ridge Fire was called at 6:53 p.m. and sent an initial search party on the streets at 7:01 p.m. The teen was located at 7:12 p.m.
“We actually found her with the search crew on the first sweep,” Barton said.
Barton said the teen is not able to ask for help, which is why she is enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program.
The program is designed to give families and caregivers peace of mind for those who are at risk of wandering. When people enroll, they are given a small transmitter to wear on their wrist or ankle. The transmitters send out a radio signal unique to each person who wears one.
Barton said once first responders are alerted that someone is lost or wandering, they can dial into the lost person’s frequency.
“For some people, social interaction is difficult,” he said. “If they can’t communicate with us about where they’re at, we can use the signal to find them.”
Those interested in signing up a loved one are encouraged to call the Jefferson County Health Department to enroll at 636-797-3737.